Into the Maelstrom

I don't want to think about all of the tariff articles I was sent, referred to, etc.; ditto for all of the videos.  I mean, I watched a couple of the one I found most interesting, and read of those by writers who I think are quality scribes -- several of which I didn't agree with.  Don't get me wrong; I like to be fair and balanced, and you can never learn enough, but... unlike, say, college basketball, there are some times when enough is more than enough.  As for me... as I mentioned several times, I largely agree with the need to expand our manufacturing and production base, reduce the flow of fentanyl into the country, etc., but on the flip side, we cannot flip a switch and start producing everything now.  The delta (I use this phrase now, oi) is the economic dislocation.  Given that Trump was elected on his ability to keep costs down and steward the economy, the timing of all of this is exceptionally... odd.

Call me crazy, but I am going to try and complete the "Calculacinema" puzzle in Games magazine.  I am hoping with the Internet I can solve it, though if I have to check out some films...well, I should.  Been a while since I have watched any on the NFR, though, again, March Madness and crazy work has made it difficult.  Yes, I could watch now, but...the NIT Championship is quite competitive -- mid-major teams with people who could be playing their last game ever, and you can tell...

Odd -- my blood sugar spiked a couple of times during the day; not sure why.  Nerves? Stress?  Worry about the sutured hole above my knee?  I have to admit, for all of the care I did to it yesterday...today it was back to normal...so here I am, laying on the floor and watching J!

Northeast Ohio education experts discuss pandemic learning loss | Sound of Ideas - YouTube
I think this is why I avoid these sorts of shows (and also why we need to defund PBS, NPR, and all of it).  They brought on the exact types of people who advocated for the policies that caused our kids to go into the crapper, educationally, and then they have the temerity to say that they would do it again??  This woman shouldn't even be hosing out the video booths at those places on Brookpark Road...

Grifterism: The Economic Engine of Democrats › American Greatness
Quite true; actually, sort of sad that someone was able to put together an all-encompassing list of the ways we are being grifted.

Sen. Bernie Moreno Had the Perfect Response to CNN Host's Questions About Trump's Tariffs
This is pretty good, actually; I realize our local paper likes to dump on the guy, but...well, considering the crappy job they do with everything, it might be something of a compliment.

Beyond March Madness, colleges face sports betting issue - ESPN
This could be me, but considering how the NCAA promotes this at every opportunity... what did they think would happen?

Cutting Away

I had my first biopsy today... I have this rash/like thing on my knee; my MD said it looked like psoriasis, and suggested a dermatologist.  Off I went this morning, and she was like... maybe.  Or, it looks like psoriasis, but I don't really have any of the other symptoms, so... let's cut me open and look.  I had to agree, not that I was a huge fan -- why don't we treat it as psoriasis and then worry about it later, but as someone who loves ever pimple-popping video ever made, I couldn't say no.  So there it was.  The injection of the painkiller was worse than the procedure -- sort of stung a bit -- but I was completely numb when they spliced me open.  It bled through the bandage -- change and clean daily, monitor for worse -- but has no other issues for me (so far).  Rah.

I watched the Trump tariff presser -- work was interested, I assure you -- and it was quite interesting.  As for the tariffs... I noted that China has been cheating for years, and no one is going to complain that they are getting hammered by this.  Trump -- for all his flaws -- can really do a press conference.  The thing with the placard with all of the countries -- not just the dirty 15 now! -- was classic, as was the part about bringing up the auto worker.  I mentioned that my dad was a UAW member and Democrat, and he was spinning in the urn that a GOP President was doing something to save the US auto industry...but also that this explains how the shift in the GOP base -- from rich white guys to the working class.  I will admit that the man has his flaws, but for a certain part of the electorate... after the results of yesterday -- warning lights for the GOP -- this might be a solution.  Less Elon, more exposure of government waste, and some Trump doing his thing.  Will it work?  Meh.  I think we have seen -- many times -- that an angry minority can get out the vote more than the current party, with disastrous results.  Given how narrow the GOP majority is...

Food stamp nation - Don Surber
As I approach the 20th anniversary of my food pantry service, I can say that this is completely correct, and that this is something that we can easily -- well, fairly easily -- fix.  Now, do we want to?  Probably not, though if there is a time to do it, now would be, given the Trump push to cut government spending and the MAHA movement.

Basketball on the Brain...

I have to admit the coaching carousel in college has been interesting.  Sean Miller to Texas, where hopefully his sojourn with the Jesuit values of Xavier will have served him well.  The Villanova hire of Kevin Willard is amusing; this could be me, but it seemed that MD wasn't happy with him when he was there, and is more unhappy that he is gone.  So their kvetching seems a little... odd, to put it mildly.  They get a good coach in Buzz Williams, so... it may work out.  Left unsaid of course is that these guys will be making big money.  In the pre-NIL era these guys would make it and not the "student athletes," but now... yes it is unsightly but they deserve it too.  Oh, CSU needs a new coach.  Maybe a bit odd -- 3 20-W seasons, but no NCAA tourney... Dennis Gates made one and got to the SEC, so there must be a premium for making the Big Dance...

Shannon Sharpe Tears Into ‘Nasty’ Kim Mulkey For Snapping At Reporter After Loss | OutKick
On to the women's game... I guess I am of both schools?  It was a dumb question, and only a reporter wouldn't know that, of course.  So once that pretense had been dropped, I have no problem with her going off and shitting on the guy.  On the other hand, she is not exactly nice to reporters in general, and while I will never sleep over that... well, I think she could handle herself as well.  It is entertaining, at least.  Can't complain about that.

Keeping with the women, I couldn't help but note that going against Geno now is unwise.  Yet, I could not help but think that with JuJu, this was a different game.   Alas.

Strickland criticizes pope over ‘siren call of sodomy’ in Mar-a-Lago letter
I have to admit that I like the guy, and when he does stuff like this...well, so much the better.